At a special convocation ceremony held at the University of Ottawa on 13 January 2012, Mawlana Hazar Imam was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of the University for his service to humanity. Speaking before members of the University Senate and Faculty, leaders from various levels of government, and members of the diplomatic corps, Mawlana Hazar Imam turned his attention to the field of governance and public policy.

“What is critical is that constitutional arrangements should respect inherited traditions, ensure fairness to minority communities, respond to rural as well as urban concerns, and underwrite equitable opportunity for a better life,” said Hazar Imam. “We must not naively assume that what has worked in some parts of the western world, for example, will also work the same way in less developed contexts. Different places, different histories require quite different approaches.”